NINEWAYS at Broadmeadow has changed shape a few times over the year. Once home to a cinema, the corner that now hosts the Premier Hotel and a service station changed significantly - along with much of the city - during the aftermath of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake.
Plans for a further change, though, have inadvertently landed the suburban hotel squarely in the middle of a debate that spans the state's entire planning and real estate landscape. Put simply, how will the housing crisis end if the reins are too tight on major developments, and conversely, how can we ensure proper processes aren't lost in the haste to deliver?
Sydney-based Thomas Hotels wanted to demolish the Premier and replace it with a 30-metre building with 48 apartments, a new-look ground-floor pub and 16 hotel rooms.
